Jury to look at whether Bournemouth student’s meningitis death ‘was preventable’
Megan Draper, from Pontypool in South Wales, died on October 29 2025 after falling ill while studying physiotherapy
A jury is to hear the inquest of an 18-year-old student who died of meningitis in her first term at Bournemouth university and look at whether her death was “preventable”, a coroner has ruled.
Megan Draper, from Pontypool in South Wales, died on October 29 2025 after falling ill while studying physiotherapy.
At a pre-inquest review hearing held in Bournemouth, coroner Brendan Allen stated that a jury would hear the full inquest because Ms Draper died of a notifiable disease.
He said: “It’s a matter of law if there is reason to suspect someone died of a notifiable disease then it’s mandatory and I am satisfied this inquest must be heard with a jury.”
Mr Allen said that the scope of the inquest would cover Ms Draper’s contact with the NHS 111 service, the triage carried out at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital, her out of hours treatment and also her admission to Southmead Hospital in Bristol.
The coroner added that the inquest would look at whether “Megan’s death was preventable”.
Mr Allen asked for Dorset Healthcare University NHS Foundation Trust, which operates the non-emergency NHS 111 service in the area, to provide a statement covering Ms Draper’s call and its call-handling procedures.
Mr Allen expressed his condolences to Ms Draper’s family and adjourned the inquest for a provisional starting date of July 19 2027.